Yemen launches military sweep against al-Qaeda bomb maker, cleric

Yemeni forces on Tuesday launched a massive operation against hideouts of al-Qaeda in two provinces east of the capital Sana'a in a bid to capture a Saudi bomb maker and a US-born cleric wanted by Washington, a senior government official said, DPA reported.

The official told the German Press Agency dpa the operation in the provinces of Marib and Shabwa aims to arrest the al-Qaeda bomb maker Ibrahim al-Asiri, who is the main suspect in a plot to get parcel bomb packages onto US-bound cargo planes.

He said the forces would also chase the US-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, wanted for inciting attacks against targets in the United States.